infomatique

THE KING AND QUEEN IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH

November 18, 2023 by infomatique

ANOTHER SCULPTURE BY RONAN HALPIN

It was not easy to photograph this as standing on the road was way too dangerous [some drive way to fast in Trim] and when I tried to photographed it from the field it was close to impossible to isolate the sculpture from the trees. Today I uses an AI application to target and isolate the actual sculpture and it worked to some extent … I will leave it to you to judge the resulting images.

I spend every second Christmas in Trim County Meath so I take the opportunity to photograph the town. This year I used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max rather than my Sony A7RIV and while I was on my way back to my brother’s house I came across this sculpture but I did not get around to processing the images until today [18th November 2023]

Trim town contains a number of public artworks. These public works of art are an integral part of the urban fabric of Trim town, enriching the sense of place and the physical beauty of the natural environment.

Some of the public works were created by Meath County Council though the Per Cent for Art Scheme which allows institutions of the state to allocate a certain portion of the costs of the construction costs of a project to finance a work of art. These pieces include King and Queen, Cross Sundial and The Bell.

Ronan Halpin was inspired by the mythological site at nearby Tara, traditionally the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. The Hill of Tara was central to the political and pagan life of the Celts. The nearby castle at Trim was also visited by the kings of England. The bronze sculptures stand on the roadside and the nearby trees and vegetation have grown and regularly threaten to cover them.

In 1992 as part of the Per Cent for Art Ronan Halpin was commissioned by Meath County Council for ‘The King and Queen’ for the Trim by-pass. Ronan Halpin was born in 1958. He attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and completed his studies at the Yale School of Art, Newhaven, Connecticut. USA. In 1985 he returned to Dublin where he worked for a number of years before transferring his studio to Drogheda and in 1998 he moved to Achill Island. His works are in the private collections of former Taoiseach, John Bruton, former US President Bill Clinton and the poet, Seamus Heaney.

THE BULL AND DROVER BY KEVIN HOLLAND

August 4, 2023 by infomatique

AT MADDEN’S BUILDINGS ON WATERCOURSE ROAD IN CORK

Madden’s Buildings consists of a number of single-storey redbrick buildings arranged in terraces, with each terrace having a gable end facing Watercourse Road at one end and or Great William O’Brien street at the other end. The Bull and Drover sculpture is located on the gable end of one of one of the terraces.

The Bull and Drover is a bronze sculpture by Kevin Holland, located on the gable end of Madden’s Buildings in Blackpool, Cork, Ireland. The sculpture depicts a bull being led by a drover, and is a reminder of the cattle market that once operated on this site.

The sculpture was commissioned by the Cork Corporation in 1986, to commemorate the centenary of the construction of Madden’s Buildings. It was created by Kevin Holland, a sculptor who is based in Cork. Holland is known for his work in bronze, and his sculptures often depict animals.

The Bull and Drover is a realistic depiction of a bull and a drover. The bull is a large, powerful animal, with a muscular body and a fierce expression. The drover is a smaller, more human figure, but he is also strong and determined. The two figures are facing each other, and the bull is following the drover’s lead.

The sculpture is mounted on a bronze plaque, which is inscribed with the words “The Bull and Drover” and the dates “1886-1986”.

In addition to the Bull and Drover, Kevin Holland has created a number of other sculptures in Cork, including the Draftsman on the Grand Parade. His work can also be found in other cities in Ireland, as well as in the United States and the United Kingdom.

I tried to locate the Draftsman on the Grand Parade and having failed I tried to find a photograph only to discover that there are no known photographs of the Draftsman. The sculpture was created in 1986, and it was destroyed in a fire in 1996. According to one source the blank wall where the Draftsman on the Grand Parade once stood is located at 14-16 Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland. The address is also listed as 2 Patrick Street, Cork, Ireland. The wall is located on the corner of Grand Parade and Patrick Street, in the heart of Cork city. It is a blank wall, with no markings or signage. The only indication that the Draftsman on the Grand Parade once stood there is a small plaque that is embedded in the wall. The plaque reads: “This was the site of the Draftsman on the Grand Parade, a sculpture by Kevin Holland, which was destroyed in a fire in 1996.”

“Draftsman Sculpture Destroyed in Fire” (The Irish Examiner, February 17, 1996)
“Cork City Mourns Loss of Draftsman Sculpture” (The Echo, February 18, 1996)
“Artist Pays Tribute to Lost Draftsman” (The Irish Times, February 19, 1996)

While researching the artist I came across the following story: A sculpture by artist Kevin Holland and similar to the Bull and Drover sculpture on nearby Madden’s Buildings was installed on the northern wall between Watercourse Road and Blackpool bypass. It was commissioned by the developer and installed on the wall at their expense, with the agreement of the city council, to commemorate the heritage and history of the area. In July 2012 it was removed by workmen. The worrying aspect to the story is that a liquidator was appointed earlier to the company which developed the site and fears had been raised that the sculpture may have been removed as part of the liquidation process. It was estimated that the metal used in the piece could be worth €50,000.

Below I have included information that was provided by a single source which is not reliable: Dray Horses sculpture was removed in 2016 due to concerns about its structural integrity. The sculpture was made of bronze, and it was mounted on a steel frame. Over time, the steel frame had corroded, and the sculpture was in danger of falling. The sculpture was removed to a workshop, where it was restored. The steel frame was replaced, and the sculpture was repainted. The sculpture was then returned to its original location in 2017. The source does reference the following:

“Dray Horses Sculpture Removed for Restoration” (The Irish Examiner, February 2016)
“Dray Horses Sculpture Returns to Blackpool” (The Irish Examiner, June 2017)
“Cork City Council Spends €30,000 on Dray Horses Restoration” (The Echo, June 2017)

“Artist Pays Tribute to Lost Draftsman” (The Irish Times, February 19, 1996): Kevin Holland, the artist who created the Draftsman sculpture, has paid tribute to his lost work. Holland said that he was “devastated” by the fire, and that he “still can’t believe it”.He said that the Draftsman sculpture was “a very personal piece” for him, and that he was “very proud” of it. Holland said that he would like to see the sculpture rebuilt, but he said that he knows that it will be “very difficult”.

CORTEN SCULPTURE OUTSIDE THE HUNT MUSEUM JUNE 2015 – NO LONGER AT THIS LOCATION

July 27, 2023 by infomatique

DESCRIBED AS A MILD STEEL NYMPHAEUM

Personally I like Corten steel sculptures or works of art but when I first saw this many years ago I was not 100% sure that it was not a skip or dumpster. Back in 2015 (or maybe earlier) a gentleman, who turned out to be a scrap dealer, asked me what I thought of this and then suggested that it was “real art” unlike much that he had seen elsewhere. Also he liked the model of a horse (see below) located nearby.

Further research indicated that this featured in the 2010 EVA International and was described as a “mild steel nymphaeum”. A nymphaeum or nymphaion (Ancient Greek: νυμφαῖον), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habitations to the local nymphs. They were sometimes so arranged as to furnish a supply of water, as at Pamphylian Side. A nymphaeum dedicated to a local water nymph, Coventina, was built along Hadrian’s Wall, in the northernmost reach of the Roman Empire. Subsequently, artificial grottoes took the place of natural ones.

EVA International (previously known as Limerick Exhibition of Visual Art and e v + a) is a large-scale contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years in the city of Limerick. It is known as Ireland’s biennial, and is held in even-numbered years.

The Museum holds a personal collection donated by the Hunt family, it was originally situated in the University of Limerick, before being moved to its present location in the Georgian Custom House in 1997. The Custom House is situated on Rutland Street on the banks of the River Shannon at its confluence with the Abbey River. Among the museum’s collection are works by notable artists and designers such as Pablo Picasso, Jack B. Yeats, and Sybil Connolly as well as distinctive historical items such as the O’Dea Mitre and Crozier.

In 2011 a lifesize model of a horse, painted by young people aged 10–18 was placed outside the front of the building. This was joined by a second one in 2012. The models are made of fibreglass, and are taken inside at night. The art installation was inspired by the song Horse Outside by the group The Rubberbandits.